Tropical and subtropical Asia's valued tree species under threat.

Tree diversity in Asia's tropical and subtropical forests is central to nature-based solutions. Species vulnerability to multiple threats, which affect provision of ecosystem services, is poorly understood. We conducted a region-wide, spatially explicit assessment of the vulnerability of 63 socioeconomically important tree species to overexploitation, fire, overgrazing, habitat conversion, and climate change. Trees were selected for assessment from national priority lists, and selections were validated by an expert network representing 20 countries. We used Maxent suitability modeling to predict species distribution ranges, freely accessible spatial data sets to map threat exposures, and functional traits to estimate threat sensitivities. Species-specific vulnerability maps were created as the product of exposure maps and sensitivity estimates. Based on vulnerability to current threats and climate change, we identified priority areas for conservation and restoration. Overall, 74% of the most important areas for conservation of these trees fell outside protected areas, and all species were severely threatened across an average of 47% of their native ranges. The most imminent threats were overexploitation and habitat conversion; populations were severely threatened by these factors in an average of 24% and 16% of their ranges, respectively. Our model predicted limited overall climate change impacts, although some study species were likely to lose over 15% of their habitat by 2050 due to climate change. We pinpointed specific natural areas in Borneo rain forests as hotspots for in situ conservation of forest genetic resources, more than 82% of which fell outside designated protected areas. We also identified degraded areas in Western Ghats, Indochina dry forests, and Sumatran rain forests as hotspots for restoration, where planting or assisted natural regeneration will help conserve these species, and croplands in southern India and Thailand as potentially important agroforestry options. Our results highlight the need for regionally coordinated action for effective conservation and restoration.

Especies de Árboles Valoradas y Amenazadas de Asia Tropical y Subtropical Resumen La diversidad de árboles en los bosques tropicales y subtropicales de Asia es un eje central para las soluciones basadas en la naturaleza. La vulnerabilidad de las especies ante las múltiples amenazas, las cuales afectan el suministro de servicios ambientales, es un tema poco comprendido. Realizamos una evaluación regional espacialmente explícita de la vulnerabilidad de 63 especies de árboles de importancia socioeconómica ante la sobreexplotación, incendios, sobrepastoreo, conversión del hábitat y cambio climático. Los árboles se seleccionaron para su evaluación a partir de listas nacionales de prioridades, y las selecciones fueron validadas por una red de expertos de 20 países. Usamos el modelado de idoneidad Maxent para predecir el rango de distribución de las especies, conjuntos de datos espaciales de libre acceso para mapear la exposición a las amenazas y rasgos funcionales para estimar la susceptibilidad a las amenazas. Con base en la vulnerabilidad a las amenazas actuales y al cambio climático, identificamos las áreas prioritarias para su conservación y restauración. En general, el 74% de las áreas más importantes para la conservación de estos árboles quedó fuera de las áreas protegidas y todas las especies estaban seriamente amenazadas en promedio en el 47% de su distribución nativa. Las amenazas más inminentes fueron la sobreexplotación y la conversión del hábitat; las poblaciones estuvieron seriamente amenazadas por estos factores en promedio en el 24% y 16% de su distribución, respectivamente. Nuestro modelo predijo un impacto general limitado del cambio climático, aunque algunas especies estudiadas tuvieron la probabilidad de perder más del 15% de su hábitat para el 2050 debido a este factor. Identificamos áreas naturales específicas en las selvas de Borneo como puntos calientes para la conservación in situ de los recursos genéticos forestales, más del 82% de los cuales estaban fuera de las áreas protegidas designadas. También identificamos áreas degradadas en los Ghats Occidentales, los bosques secos de Indochina y las selvas de Sumatra como puntos calientes para la restauración, en donde la siembra o la regeneración natural asistida ayudarán a conservar estas especies. Además, identificamos campos de cultivo al sur de India y Tailandia como potenciales opciones importantes de agrosilvicultura. Nuestros resultados resaltan la necesidad de acciones regionales coordinadas para la conservación y restauración efectivas.

Endemic plants of Java Island, Indonesia: a dataset.

Background: Java is the most populous island in the world. This high population and the extensive economic activities have significantly reduced the forest areas of the Island and have greatly increased the pressure on its plant diversity. Compared to those with a wide distribution, endemic plants with a narrow geographic range are more vulnerable to anthropogenic threats and environmental changes. As species lists are essential for knowledge of species diversity in areas with strong anthropogenic pressure, here we present a dataset of endemic plants of Java Island. The initial species list was manually extracted from the Plant of the World Online (POWO). Each species on the list was then confirmed for its endemism by checking its current distribution using peer-reviewed publications, online plant databases and herbarium specimen images stored on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The dataset contains 652 species in 279 genera and 85 families. The family with the highest number of endemic species is Orchidaceae (142 species), followed by Rubiaceae (57 species), Acanthaceae (40 species), Apocynaceae (35 species) and Lauraceae (29 species). The growth form of the species is mostly trees (22.6%), followed by herbs (19.2%), epiphytes (16%), shrubs (12.4%), vines (11%) and geophytes (9.4%). Most of the species (89.7%) have not yet been assessed for their conservation status according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. There are only 55 species (8.3%) that have been conserved within ex situ collections. Furthermore, most of the species (79.8%) are not listed on the CITES appendices and there are only four species (0.6%) protected by national law. New information: Our contribution provides the first online list of accepted scientific names of Javan endemic plants species, together with all their synonyms. New to the dataset are: i) provision of local names of the species (if available), ii) the classification of species under eleven growth forms (tree, shrub, herb, annual, graminoid, geophyte, fern, vines, hydrophyte, parasite and epiphyte), iii) assignation of the extinction risk of species according to the IUCN Red List, iv) ex situ collection status of species and information on the protection status of the species according to (v) CITES and (vi) the national law of Indonesia.